At the same time, though, there’s something a little depressing about the extent to which that love seems unearned. Whatever you think of the original Wonder Woman stories (and, again, I like them a lot more than Hanley does), at this point she isn’t much more than a corporate marketing icon and, perhaps, a nostalgia-tinged memory of a mediocre television show. “She isn’t a great character despite her contradictions, but because of them,” Hanley declares in his conclusion — but the vast bulk of his book actually suggests that she isn’t an especially great character at all, if “great character” means appearing in worthwhile stories or even appealing to large numbers of people. Love can elevate pop culture detritus, but it seems like the bland logic of marketing and pop culture legacy memes can wash out passion as well. ”Wonder Woman Unbound” demonstrates how much an engaged author can do with indifferent material. But it also made me wish that we’d demand more from the icons to which we grant our affection.

I have to agree with this article, Wonder Woman strikes me as being an icon on the basis that she's an icon. I don't actually get the love for the character, where she is implied as the ultimate of female superheroines. It's some sort of travesty that WB has not yet done a WW movie (they've actually already done supergirl and catwoman). I do see art for WW in all sorts of places though. I walked into a hipster paintstore a while back, and there was a Wonder Woman painting for $300. In a bar I frequent, the men's room has a painting of Lex Luthor, and the ladies' room a painting of Wonder Woman. My cousin dressed up as Wonder Woman for Halloween ... so I guess the public cares.

Just from American comic books, I'd be more interested in seeing movies for the Supergirl and Hawkgirl. Diana wasn't interesting in JLU, then again neither were Clark or Bruce... admittedly the rule of thumb for the JL cartoons is that the most famous characters were the least interesting... "The Question" was the most fun character on the show. Aside from that, I'm more excited for Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch than I am for Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, in spite of being a DC fan.

Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, Buffy Summers, Alex Mack, and Sailor Moon were the most interesting female heroines on TV. I expect that none of them will ever get a movie.

The DA CHAMPION rule? Cuz.... Superman was a huge part of the storyline of JLU, and he wasn't boring to me. If anything, that they were starting to actually give him a real arc and character in JLU as compared to the solo show, plus George Newbern's voice acting being better in JLU than Tim's voice in TAS for me... It all worked out wonderfully, and it seems like many, many others would say the same.

__________________My father. 1946-2014

He truly proved that every person has the potential to be a force for good in this life. So anyone that reads this, do me a favor... Call your parents.

Honestly... Yeah. Wonder Woman is pop art iconography these days. And that's it. People recognize her. That's it. I guarantee 999/1000 people could not tell you her origin if you asked.

Even weirder is most writers/artists that have worked on her in the last 74 years really didn't even get the character and what William Marston was doing. So they just sanitized her into a female Superman. Even worse is what she's become now to differentiate her again. It must say something about our culture these days when a character that in her inception was this ambassador for love and compassion and alternative sexuality (oh my god how scary for so many people here) has now become the GOD OF WAR.

The general public's knowledge of the character will be updated in 2016 though. It's really on Zack Snyder to decide how he will represent the character for most people in the world. I hope he does his research thoroughly. But I'm willing to bet we'll get a sword-swinging, killing Xena (which strangely enough will please alot of feminists here).

It's important to note this is the truth of pretty much every superhero save for Superman, Batman and Spider Man, maybe another one or two there.

Heck, Iron Man wasn't heard of at all until 2008. 999/1000 people could tell you Spider-Man got bit from a spider. Superman disguises as Clark Kent and comes from Krypton. And all about Batman.

But the level of WW's recognition which is right at the top with Superman and Batman just doesn't balance with how little is known about her. She's just the female Superman to most people.

My point still stands. It's just so odd to have a character that's so well known, just not really be known. And it's a really enviable position of Zack Snyder to actually introduce this character for the first time to this generation. Give a voice to the character everyone can instantly recognize.

Honestly... Yeah. Wonder Woman is pop art iconography these days. And that's it. People recognize her. That's it. I guarantee 999/1000 people could not tell you her origin if you asked.

Even weirder is most writers/artists that have worked on her in the last 74 years really didn't even get the character and what William Marston was doing. So they just sanitized her into a female Superman. Even worse is what she's become now to differentiate her again. It must say something about our culture these days when a character that in her inception was this ambassador for love and compassion and alternative sexuality (oh my god how scary for so many people here) has now become the GOD OF WAR.

The general public's knowledge of the character will be updated in 2016 though. It's really on Zack Snyder to decide how he will represent the character for most people in the world. I hope he does his research thoroughly. But I'm willing to bet we'll get a sword-swinging, killing Xena (which strangely enough will please alot of feminists here).

Her caretakers have repeatedly lost sight of what made the character so popular in the first place. Now, she's a Xena wanabe who's constantly getting revamped in the comics.

Like Superman, she's done a complete 180 from her original characterization, and is suffering for it. Contrast this with Batman, who deep down is still the character Bill Finger and Bob Kane created, and is more popular than ever.

Fortunately, Grant Morrison is trying to modernize the original Marston concept in his Wonder Woman: Earth One book.

__________________"There is a difference between you and me. We both looked into the abyss, but when it looked back at us... you blinked."

Maybe DC will publish the feverish, demented WW comic they have in their vault. According to Morrison, Marston wrote an especially trippy and outrageous WW comic that was refused for publication, and was a well kept secret until recently.

But I was serious, I do hope that DC pushes forward to honor the character's 75th anniversary.

Maybe DC will publish the feverish, demented WW comic they have in their vault. According to Morrison, Marston wrote an especially trippy and outrageous WW comic that was refused for publication, and was a well kept secret until recently.

But I was serious, I do hope that DC pushes forward to honor the character's 75th anniversary.

Honestly... Yeah. Wonder Woman is pop art iconography these days. And that's it. People recognize her. That's it. I guarantee 999/1000 people could not tell you her origin if you asked.

Even weirder is most writers/artists that have worked on her in the last 74 years really didn't even get the character and what William Marston was doing. So they just sanitized her into a female Superman. Even worse is what she's become now to differentiate her again. It must say something about our culture these days when a character that in her inception was this ambassador for love and compassion and alternative sexuality (oh my god how scary for so many people here) has now become the GOD OF WAR.

Holy crap, man, that is one profound analysis. I love how you contextualize the current characterization of Wonder Woman with the contemporary glorification of the military (at least that's how I interpret your argument).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smallville13

The general public's knowledge of the character will be updated in 2016 though. It's really on Zack Snyder to decide how he will represent the character for most people in the world. I hope he does his research thoroughly. But I'm willing to bet we'll get a sword-swinging, killing Xena (which strangely enough will please alot of feminists here).

You're probably right. Honestly, I expect the portrayal of Wonder Woman in the 2016 film to echo her characterization in Justice League: War. That is, she will be Generic Badass Warrior Woman -- since that is both the most marketable interpretation, the most obvious for male screenwriters, and the one that will demand the least from a relatively unseasoned actress like Gadot.

__________________"Democracy for an insignificant minority, democracy for the rich—that is the democracy of capitalist society."—Lenin